Motor racing-Hamilton bowled out by Button

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

YEONGAM, South Korea, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton's plans for a night out at a bowling alley with his mechanics were skittled after the McLaren driver discovered they had already agreed to go running with team mate Jenson Button.

The 2008 Formula One champion told British reporters at the Korean Grand Prix that he had also still not spoken to former boss and mentor Ron Dennis since the decision to move to Mercedes next season.

The move, as a replacement for seven times champion Michael Schumacher, was announced on Sept. 28.

Hamilton, who lives in Monaco and has been away from Europe since last month's Singapore Grand Prix, had wanted to treat his mechanics at last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix and also explain why he was leaving.

"I booked 16 lanes at the bowling alley for Saturday night, but something else came up so the guys weren't able to do it," said the 27-year-old. "They were already committed before. They went for a run with JB or something like that."

Button is a keen triathlete and along with many others in the paddock is a regular participant in a charity track run on Saturday evenings at race weekends.

The morning after the race in Japan, Hamilton caused a stir on social media site Twitter when he posted messages that accused Button of showing disrespect by 'unfollowing' him.

"Just noticed @jensonbutton unfollowed. that's a shame. After 3 years as teammates. I thought we respected one another but clearly he doesn't," said the opening Tweet.

The message was followed by another apologising after he discovered that his fellow-Briton had never followed him in the first place.

Hamilton, who has been backed by McLaren since he was 13-year-old, is expected to be at their Woking factory next week.

"Of course there will be people who are happy I am going, some who are unhappy I am going," said Hamilton, who qualified third for Sunday's race in Korea which he starts 42 points adrift of Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso.

"Some who will be sad, some who will be supportive. That's how things are." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Greg Stutchbury)